Official Dopey 2017 Thread

[Chasing Dopey]

I drove in every morning this year (and plan to do the same) and always made sure I was pulling in to the parking lot at Epcot 30 minutes before the first corral (I was not in the first corral) went off. No problems.

The only race I bag-dropped for was the Marathon and even then, we stood around in our corrals for 45 minutes before we started moving and it sucked.

I lined up all these questions in my head, and boy it sounds annoying, but here it goes anyway (sorry!): What time did you leave to get there 30 min. before the first start? Where were you coming from? And what was the traffic like going in?

(Fun story: At this year's Army 10 Miler, with the same group that is doing Dopey in January, actually, the bottleneck getting off the interstate by the Pentagon was ridiculous, and the time was getting tight. So after watching many people get out of their cars, buddy and I finally decided to hoof it, played chinese fire drill with the wives, and headed on down the highway. Pretty funny. Everybody made it just in time for their corrals, though!)

 

[Keels]

I lined up all these questions in my head, and boy it sounds annoying, but here it goes anyway (sorry!): What time did you leave to get there 30 min. before the first start? Where were you coming from? And what was the traffic like going in?

(Fun story: At this year's Army 10 Miler, with the same group that is doing Dopey in January, actually, the bottleneck getting off the interstate by the Pentagon was ridiculous, and the time was getting tight. So after watching many people get out of their cars, buddy and I finally decided to hoof it, played chinese fire drill with the wives, and headed on down the highway. Pretty funny. Everybody made it just in time for their corrals, though!)

I live off Apopka-Vineland, five miles from Disney Springs. 10/Half/Full morning we left by 4:40 and were in the parking lot by 5.

Traffic? More like we were the only car in a "Walking Dead"-like scene.

Be sure to follow the directions in the guide, as World Drive is used for course/corrals for the Half/Full. Basically, drive to Boardwalk to get to Epcot, don't drive to Magic Kingdom to get to Epcot.

I'm not on my laptop or else I could screenshot maps for you. I can do it when I get home!

ETA: The only race I've had an issue driving in to was 10K at Princess this year and that was because of cast member error closing off the bus entrance when he wasn't supposed to, basically causing a logjam of busses in the car lane with noe entrance to the bus loop.

 

[Chasing Dopey]

I live off Apopka-Vineland, five miles from Disney Springs. 10/Half/Full morning we left by 4:40 and were in the parking lot by 5.

Traffic? More like we were the only car in a "Walking Dead"-like scene.

Be sure to follow the directions in the guide, as World Drive is used for course/corrals for the Half/Full. Basically, drive to Boardwalk to get to Epcot, don't drive to Magic Kingdom to get to Epcot.

I'm not on my laptop or else I could screenshot maps for you. I can do it when I get home!

ETA: The only race I've had an issue driving in to was 10K at Princess this year and that was because of cast member error closing off the bus entrance when he wasn't supposed to, basically causing a logjam of busses in the car lane with noe entrance to the bus loop.

Oh, that's great news! I don't know where I read that traffic could be an issue. Maybe I dreamt it? (Maps would help me immensely. You're awesome.)

 

[FFigawi]

Oh, that's great news! I don't know where I read that traffic could be an issue. Maybe I dreamt it? (Maps would help me immensely. You're awesome.)

Traffic can be an issue. It usually backs up somewhere in Disney, kind of like how there's always one or two buses that get lost and take an hour to get to the lot.

 

[Keels]

Traffic can be an issue. It usually backs up somewhere in Disney, kind of like how there's always one or two buses that get lost and take an hour to get to the lot.

I see what you're doing ...

 

[mollybloom]

I live off Apopka-Vineland, five miles from Disney Springs. 10/Half/Full morning we left by 4:40 and were in the parking lot by 5.

Traffic? More like we were the only car in a "Walking Dead"-like scene.

Be sure to follow the directions in the guide, as World Drive is used for course/corrals for the Half/Full. Basically, drive to Boardwalk to get to Epcot, don't drive to Magic Kingdom to get to Epcot.

I'm not on my laptop or else I could screenshot maps for you. I can do it when I get home!

ETA: The only race I've had an issue driving in to was 10K at Princess this year and that was because of cast member error closing off the bus entrance when he wasn't supposed to, basically causing a logjam of busses in the car lane with noe entrance to the bus loop.

Total lurker here, but this is really helpful! I will be driving to the full this year and am very nervous about it. I'm thinking about trying to arrive at 4, just so I have plenty of time, but t sounds like even 4:30 would be no problem. We live in NYC but will be visiting my family in Winter Park in January.

 

[PrincessV]

ANOTHER QUESTION FOR VETERANS: More specifically, for folks who have stayed at a non-Disney resort: How soon should we head out the door each morning? We're at Bonnet Creek, which is close to Epcot, but I know the crowds will be a lot bigger than Wine & Dine (we could have slept an extra hour that weekend, very light). Thanks!

I drive to every race, usually from Wyndham Bonnet Creek, and haven't seen any noticeable difference in Marathon weekend driving. I like to leave my resort within 15 minutes of the host resort buses starting - so by 3:15am for the 1/2 and full. I never see any traffic issues. And that's just about the easiest, fastest route there is! Left off Chelonia Pkwy onto Buena Vista Dr, hang in the right lane onto the MK/EP ramp, stay in right lane until you enter EP.

 

[bananabean]

I lined up all these questions in my head, and boy it sounds annoying, but here it goes anyway (sorry!): What time did you leave to get there 30 min. before the first start? Where were you coming from? And what was the traffic like going in?

(Fun story: At this year's Army 10 Miler, with the same group that is doing Dopey in January, actually, the bottleneck getting off the interstate by the Pentagon was ridiculous, and the time was getting tight. So after watching many people get out of their cars, buddy and I finally decided to hoof it, played chinese fire drill with the wives, and headed on down the highway. Pretty funny. Everybody made it just in time for their corrals, though!)

I've started staying with friends and drove for the first time this year going to W&D. I was really nervous, but it ended up being really easy. During the day it would take about 15-20 minutes to get to the Disney gates, but in the morning it took less than 15 (I speed - shhh - don't tell). There was very little traffic, even once I was on Disney property. They were really efficient at parking, so you shouldn't really need to add any time to how long it normally takes to get to the parks (although I'm still annoyed about the guy in the yellow car that cut me off and got the last spot in the row so I had to drive allllll the way down to the end and then walk alllll the way back to the corral entrance at Epcot for the 10k ).

 

[sammykster]

I have a silly overthinking question. I know that we get two bibs for Dopey (first timer) but do they have the same numbers for both? As far as using one for 5K/10K and one for half/full - do we find out our 5k and 10k corrals before the expo or only the half and full? I always see the corral information for half, full, goofy and dopey but I'm just not sure how it all works in terms of knowing things in advance.

 

[Baloo in MI]

I have a silly overthinking question. I know that we get two bibs for Dopey (first timer) but do they have the same numbers for both? As far as using one for 5K/10K and one for half/full - do we find out our 5k and 10k corrals before the expo or only the half and full? I always see the corral information for half, full, goofy and dopey but I'm just not sure how it all works in terms of knowing things in advance.

You will have the same bib number for all four races. Once waivers are out you will be able to figure out corrals for all four races.

This waiting is driving me crazy! I keep coming back to Dis excited to see that waivers are out and have to face being patient longer! 3 weeks from tomorrow and we are toeing the line though!

 

[sammykster]

You will have the same bib number for all four races. Once waivers are out you will be able to figure out corrals for all four races.

This waiting is driving me crazy! I keep coming back to Dis excited to see that waivers are out and have to face being patient longer! 3 weeks from tomorrow and we are toeing the line though!

Thank you! Glad we will know about all four right away. I'm going nuts waiting too. Did the full last year and getting them a week earlier seemed to make the wait less awful. At least we know it has to be in the next week right? right? I need to know! I know it doesn't make a difference but I love looking at the courses and the guide. With HS under construction I'm a little anxious to see what the courses will do.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Thank you! Glad we will know about all four right away. I'm going nuts waiting too. Did the full last year and getting them a week earlier seemed to make the wait less awful. At least we know it has to be in the next week right? right? I need to know! I know it doesn't make a difference but I love looking at the courses and the guide. With HS under construction I'm a little anxious to see what the courses will do.

Me too! We are staying at BWI---one of the reasons I chose that resort was because I figured Dh could just hang in our room/resort in the early morning and then catch me on the Boardwalk section in the last few miles of the marathon. I hope the course still goes that way!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Thank you! Glad we will know about all four right away. I'm going nuts waiting too. Did the full last year and getting them a week earlier seemed to make the wait less awful. At least we know it has to be in the next week right? right? I need to know! I know it doesn't make a difference but I love looking at the courses and the guide. With HS under construction I'm a little anxious to see what the courses will do.

Officially, we will only know the HM and M corrals based on the Dopey bibs in the next few days. However, using past years we can make a pretty good educated guess to our 5k/10k corrals (unofficially).



So for example, a corral H Dopey bib for the HM/M, is very likely (not guaranteed) to be in corral B for the 5k/10k. So in a few days you will know 100% what your HM and M corral is, but won't 100% know your 5k/10k corral until at the expo. But we have a pretty darn good guess.

 

[AmynVal]

I saw on a Facebook group corral numbers but nothing about bib numbers so maybe tomorrow we will know more

 

[sammykster]

Officially, we will only know the HM and M corrals based on the Dopey bibs in the next few days. However, using past years we can make a pretty good educated guess to our 5k/10k corrals (unofficially).

View attachment 210251

So for example, a corral H Dopey bib for the HM/M, is very likely (not guaranteed) to be in corral B for the 5k/10k. So in a few days you will know 100% what your HM and M corral is, but won't 100% know your 5k/10k corral until at the expo. But we have a pretty darn good guess.

Good to know! I will have to be patient for my corral. I'm hoping for I based on the leaked pace information but I'm right around the 5:30 after the calculator for my POT which seems to spread pretty far this year for corrals. And of course, J would make me on the edge from the past year guestimates for the 5K/10K lol

 

[AmynVal]

 

[Ariel484]

^^not finalized. But I hope it's true!!

 

[AmynVal]

Getting bits and pieces from Facebook. Some people are geniuses

 

[rteetz]

View attachment 210422 Getting bits and pieces from Facebook. Some people are geniuses

Well the genius posted in the marathon 2017 thread here then I went and posted it on several facebook pages.

 

[Ariel484]

Does it really matter where the info comes from? Sometimes it's here, sometimes it's FB...